June 19 Gathering: Breaking the cycle of violence

In the wake of last Sunday’s mass killings in Orlando, communities of faith across America have been seeking ways to respond. Through prayer vigils, calls for justice, and other acts of support, churches have been at the forefront of our collective expression of grief.

And while those responses are appropriate and helpful, it seems eventually we always find ourselves plowing the same ground of identifying and arguing over where the blame lies for these heinous acts. Whether we fault immigration policies, gun culture, mental illness, or some other factor, our quarrels end up consuming us and, ultimately, nothing changes.

But what if there’s something else we can do? Rather than arguing over where to place blame, can we really do anything to change things? Can faith communities play a role in reshaping culture away from violence as our default response?

In essence, that’s the heart of Jesus’ kingdom announcement. That death and violence no longer reign.

But can we actually live that life? And, if we can, what might it change?

This Sunday at New Wineskins we’ll talk about how faith communities can lead the way toward not just individual redemption, but cultural redemption. Join us at the Marietta Brewing Companyas we discuss ways to break the cycles of violence in the world around us.